Book Review: Model Citizens: Riding for a Fall by Henry Pepper

Blurb:

Model Citizens is the wild, illegitimate, daughter of Melrose Place. This erotic thriller unfolds during one dramatic week in the exciting world of the Super Model.

When Angela Durand and Joanne Hart use sexual blackmail to win the world's most prestigious modelling competition, they become instant Super Models and overnight celebrities.

The glamorous Los Angeles high life is at their fingertips. Multi-million dollar modelling contracts. Rich and famous boyfriends. Private jet travel. The best manager in the business.

What could possibly go wrong?

Plenty, including a boyfriend who is the greatest NFL footballer in American history and a psychopath. As Brett's life runs off the rails, his dark and perverted behaviour threatens to destroy Joanne and Angela's careers, ruin their lives and steal their sanity.

Packed with sexual indulgence, larger than life personalities, fast-paced drama and glamorous frocks, Model Citizens is a gripping reminder that, when it comes to the business of fashion, even the most powerful women in the world can still be reduced to living like candles in the wind.

Only love can save Angela and Joanne from being destroyed by the dark side of LA.

Kayla's Thoughts:

Angela Durand and Joanne Hart are two very different personalities drawn to one another in this glamorously intimate novel of fashion, fame, and the pride that cometh before the fall. Angela is more the shy and down-to-earth girl from France, while Joanne, a California girl at heart, is more headstrong and confident. But however different they may seem on the outside, on the inside they want the same thing. To be Super Models. And with a bit of blackmail, they succeed at this high-in-the-clouds aspiration. But their success may also be their undoing.

Now Angela seems like a sweet girl throughout this entire book. She is very open-hearted and wants what is best for her best friend/lover Joanne. But Joanne, however, seems very conflicted. She has achieved the fame and fortune, but there is a sliver of a chance that she could lose it all. And that sliver's name is Brett.

Brett is Joanne's on-again-off-again boyfriend who plays for the NFL. Cool, right? Well...it would be if he wasn't a psychopath. Yeah...that is a definite cause for concern. And everybody but Joanne has pretty much realized this concern. She is pretty much stuck in the whole denial stage of their whole relationship. In fact, sometimes it seems that she loves who he is and what he does to her, even though what he does and makes her do is not normal. Not normal at all. But as Angela points out many times in the story, if she doesn't accept that his actions are wrong and leaves him, Joanne can just forget about modelling any more, because he could be the death of her.

Brett might go just a bit too far to keep Joanne in his clutches, and the sad part is, Joanne might not try to stop him.

This book has many wonderful attributes to it - the storyline, the characters, the ending...especially the ending - but I think my favourite has to be the cover. It screams elegant old Hollywood to me. It is eye-catching, and breath-taking, and the black and white just works.

Verdict:

Model Citizens was a great read. It showed us the glamorous side of fashion, a behind-the-scenes look at what fame sometimes costs, and a bit of how karma is a fickle mistress. I absolutely loved every single minute of it.

Author's Bio:

Model Citizens is his debut novel and according to Mr. Pepper was based on true stories. He explains, "While researching the book, I met a number of famous models in London, New York and Paris who were kind enough to tell me about what really goes on behind the scenes."

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Hi! Welcome to Journey with Books. I'm Lady Krishna from the Philippines. This blog was made from the passionate heart of a book lover. I've always loved books and has been passionate in reading so I made this blog to connect with other readers and of course, with the authors. If you want to contact me to review your books or simply fangirl about books (which I loved to do) just messaged me through Facebook or follow me on my personal twitter @iamladykrishna.